Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You

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Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You
A sepia-toned image of a young man from behind
Studio album by
Ethel Cain
ReleasedAugust 8, 2025 (2025-08-08)
Genre
Length73:35
LabelDaughters of Cain (via AWAL)
Producer
  • Ethel Cain
  • Matthew Tomasi
Ethel Cain chronology
Perverts
(2025) 		Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You
(2025)
Singles from Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You
  1. "Nettles"
    Released: June 4, 2025
  2. "Fuck Me Eyes"
    Released: July 2, 2025

Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You is the second studio album by the American singer-songwriter and record producer Ethel Cain. It was released by her independent record label Daughters of Cain on August 8, 2025, as her second release of the year, following the standalone recording Perverts (2025). The lyrical narrative present in Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You serves as the prequel to Cain's debut album, Preacher's Daughter (2022). The singles "Nettles" and "Fuck Me Eyes" preceded the album in June and July 2025, respectively.

Upon its release, Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You was met with critical acclaim and debuted within the top 10 on the main charts of Australia, New Zealand, and Scotland. To promote the album, Cain is embarking on the Willoughby Tucker Forever Tour, which passes through North America, Europe and Australia between August 2025 and February 2026.

Background

[edit]

In 2022, Ethel Cain released her debut studio album, Preacher's Daughter, which garnered her critical acclaim and a cult following.[3] In interviews published at the end of the year, she revealed that she was working on an extended play (EP) serving as a prequel to the album's narrative.[4] She stated that it would be centered on the main character's teenage years and her romance with Willoughby, a man who the track "A House in Nebraska" was written about.[5]

Cain shared demos of new songs on SoundCloud, which The Line of Best Fit believed would be part of a release containing B-sides scrapped from Preacher's Daughter.[6] Speaking with Kiernan Shipka for Interview, the singer stated that she was trying to finish the project to release it later in 2023.[7] In 2024, the publication Stereogum reported that Cain would be releasing an EP soon after containing the B-sides, under the title Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You.[8]

Concept and themes

[edit]

The fictional story from Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You serves as a prequel to the narrative from Preacher's Daughter.[9] It begins in 1986,[10] five years before the start of the events from the previous album.[11] Cain described it as "the year everything changed forever".[12]

Release and promotion

[edit]

Cain announced Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You on social media on March 24, 2025.[13] Alongside the announcement of the album, she revealed that she would be embarking on the Willoughby Tucker Forever Tour between August and November 2025 throughout North America and Europe.[14] Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You was revealed to be set for release in August 2025.[9] Originally described as a companion EP, it eventually became Cain's second studio album.[15] On May 28, 2025, Cain announced the album's lead single, "Nettles", which was released on June 4, 2025.[16] Along with the release of the single, the specific release date of the album was revealed to be August 8, 2025.[17] A second single, "Fuck Me Eyes", was released on July 2, 2025.[18] On July 7, 2025, Cain shared its track listing via social media.[19]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.3/10[20]
Metacritic83/100[21]
Review scores
SourceRating
Clash9/10[22]
DIY[23]
The Independent[24]
The Line of Best Fit9/10[25]
NME[26]
Pitchfork6.7/10[2]
Rolling Stone[27]
Slant Magazine[28]
Uncut8/10[29]

Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You has received acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received a rating of 83 out of 100 based on seventeen critic reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[21] Similarly, on AnyDecentMusic?, it received a rating of 8.3 out of 10, based on twenty-one reviews.[20]

Commercial performance

[edit]

Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You debuted at number 12 on the UK Albums Chart on August 15, 2025. It became Cain's second top-twenty album in the United Kingdom after Preacher's Daughter reached a peak of number 10 in April 2025.[30]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Hayden Anhedönia, except where noted.

Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You track listing[17]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Janie"
  • Anhedönia
  • Matthew Tomasi
5:00
2."Willoughby's Theme" 4:44
3."Fuck Me Eyes" 6:04
4."Nettles" 8:03
5."Willoughby's Interlude" 7:27
6."Dust Bowl"
6:26
7."A Knock at the Door" 5:24
8."Radio Towers" 5:12
9."Tempest"
  • Anhedönia
  • Angel Diaz
10:00
10."Waco, Texas"
  • Anhedönia
  • Tomasi
15:15
Total length:73:35

Sample credit

  • "Dust Bowl" contains an interpolation of "Stars Will Fall", performed by Duster and written by members Canaan Dove Amber and Clay Parton.[31]

Personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from Tidal.[32]

  • Hayden Anhedönia – lead vocals, production, mixing, engineering (all tracks); synthesizer (tracks 1, 3, 5, 8–10), background vocals (1, 4), piano (2, 6), banjo (4), acoustic guitar (7)
  • Matthew Tomasi – mastering (all tracks), electric guitar (1–5), background vocals (1), production (2), drums (6, 9, 10)
  • Mattias Hency – synthesizer (3)
  • Dillon Hodges – banjo (4)
  • Bryan De Leon – drums (4)
  • Danny Carpenter – fiddle (4)
  • Steve Colyer – organ (4)
  • Todd Beene – additional guitar (4)
  • Angel Diaz – additional guitar (6, 10); background vocals, piano (9)

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You
Chart (2025) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[33] 5
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[34] 23
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[35] 11
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[36] 92
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[37] 91
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[38] 11
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[39] 38
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[40] 16
Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ)[41] 16
Irish Albums (OCC)[42] 17
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[43] 5
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[44] 32
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[45] 100
Scottish Albums (OCC)[46] 2
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[47] 27
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[48] 48
UK Albums (OCC)[49] 12
UK Americana Albums (OCC)[50] 1
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[51] 3
US Billboard 200[52] 14
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[53] 1
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[54] 2
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[55] 3

Release history

[edit]
Release dates and formats for Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various August 8, 2025
Daughters of Cain [56]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Geraghty, Hollie (August 7, 2025). "Ethel Cain shares her backstory on new album 'Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You'". The Forty-Five. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Horn, Olivia (August 7, 2025). "Ethel Cain: Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  3. ^ Murray, Robin (March 24, 2025). "Ethel Cain Announces New Album 'Willoughby Tucker, I Will Always Love You'". Clash. Archived from the original on March 24, 2025. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
  4. ^ Hyun Kim, Michelle (December 1, 2022). "Ethel Cain: Portrait of a Lady on Fire". Crack. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  5. ^ Walker, Sophie Leigh (December 5, 2022). "The Artist and The Ghost". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  6. ^ Kenneally, Cerys (March 6, 2023). "Ethel Cain shares new "Homecoming (Demo)" on SoundCloud". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
  7. ^ Shipka, Kiernan (June 21, 2023). "Ethel Cain and Kiernan Shipka on Nihilism and Nightmares". Interview. Archived from the original on January 15, 2025. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
  8. ^ Chelosky, Danielle (April 21, 2024). "Ethel Cain Shares New Song On Instagram". Stereogum. Archived from the original on April 21, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
  9. ^ a b Kelly, Tyler Damara (March 24, 2025). "Ethel Cain details second album, Willoughby Tucker, I Will Always Love You". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on March 24, 2025. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
  10. ^ Daw, Stephen (March 24, 2025). "Ethel Cain Prepping Second 2025 Album 'Willoughby Trucker, I Will Always Love You'". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  11. ^ Garvey, Meaghan (May 31, 2022). "In Ethel Cain's music, hell is a place on Earth". NPR. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  12. ^ Rogers, Karlie (March 24, 2025). "Ethel Cain Announces 'Willboughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You,' Plots 2025 Tour". Exclaim!. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
  13. ^ Taylor, Sam (March 24, 2025). "Ethel Cain has announced a new album and world tour for 2025". Dork. Archived from the original on March 24, 2025. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
  14. ^ Jamieson, Sarah (March 24, 2025). "Ethel Cain announces new album 'Willoughby Tucker, I Will Always Love You'". DIY. Archived from the original on March 24, 2025. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
  15. ^ Breihan, Tom (March 24, 2025). "Ethel Cain Announces New Album Willoughby Tucker, I Will Always Love You & Massive Tour". Stereogum. Archived from the original on March 24, 2025. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
  16. ^ Sumadia, Kinette (May 28, 2025). "Fans react as Ethel Cain announces new single 'Nettles' from upcoming album 'Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You' releasing June 4". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved May 31, 2025.
  17. ^ a b Cain, Ethel (August 8, 2025). "Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You". Daughters of Cain Records. Retrieved August 7, 2025 – via Apple Music (NZ).
  18. ^ Murray, Robin (July 2, 2025). "Ethel Cain Shares Startling New Song 'Fuck Me Eyes'". Exclaim!. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  19. ^ "Ethel Cain announces 'Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You' tracklist. | Coup de Main Magazine". www.coupdemainmagazine.com. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  20. ^ a b "Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You by Ethel Cain". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  21. ^ a b "Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You by Ethel Cain Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  22. ^ Watkins, Michael (August 7, 2025). "Ethel Cain - Willoughby Tucker, l'll Always Love You | Reviews". Clash. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  23. ^ Tipple, Ben (August 6, 2025). "Ethel Cain - Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You". DIY. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  24. ^ Chilton, Louis (August 7, 2025). "Ethel Cain's Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You is dark and absorbing – review". The Independent. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  25. ^ Kim, Matthew (August 7, 2025). "Ethel Cain meditates on yearning on Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  26. ^ Hé, Kristen S. (August 8, 2025). "Ethel Cain – 'Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You' review: a devastating downward spiral, suffused with love". NME. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
  27. ^ Ehrlich, Brenna (August 6, 2025). "Ethel Cain Goes Quietly Into the Darkness". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  28. ^ Winograd, Jeremy (August 6, 2025). "Ethel Cain 'Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You' Review: Blissfully Nostalgic Indie Pop". Slant Magazine. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  29. ^ "Ethel Cain – Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You". Uncut. September 2025. p. 29.
  30. ^ Smith, Carl (August 15, 2025). "Oasis see off competition from mgk and The Royston Club to secure Number 1 album". Official Charts Company.
  31. ^ Abbott, Marc. "Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You". www.undertheradarmag.com. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
  32. ^ "Willoughy Tucker, I'll Always Love You / Ethel Cain / Credits". Tidal. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
  33. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. August 18, 2025. Retrieved August 15, 2025.
  34. ^ "Ö3 Austria Top40: Longplay-Charts". Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  35. ^ "Ultratop.be – Ethel Cain – Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  36. ^ "Ultratop.be – Ethel Cain – Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  37. ^ "Billboard Canadian Albums: Week of August 23, 2025". Billboard. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  38. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Ethel Cain – Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 15, 2025.
  39. ^ "Ethel-Cain: Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved August 16, 2025.
  40. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Ethel Cain – Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved August 15, 2025.
  41. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista (fizikai hanghordozók) – 2025. 33. hét". MAHASZ. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  42. ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 16, 2025.
  43. ^ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. August 15, 2025. Retrieved August 15, 2025.
  44. ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista sprzedaży - albumy" (in Polish). OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Note: Change the date to 08.08.2025–14.08.2025 under "zmień zakres od–do:". Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  45. ^ "Top 200 Álbuns Semana 33 de 2025" (PDF) (in European Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. p. 2. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  46. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 16, 2025.
  47. ^ "Top 100 Albums – Week 32". El Portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved August 24, 2025.
  48. ^ "Veckolista Album, vecka 33" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved August 15, 2025.
  49. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 16, 2025.
  50. ^ "Official Americana Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 16, 2025.
  51. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 16, 2025.
  52. ^ "Billboard 200: Week of August 23, 2025". Billboard. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  53. ^ "Independent Albums: Week of August 23, 2025". Billboard. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  54. ^ "Top Alternative Albums: Week of August 23, 2025". Billboard. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  55. ^ "Top Rock Albums: Week of August 23, 2025". Billboard. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  56. ^ "Here Lies Ethel Cain". Ethel Cain. Archived from the original on June 13, 2025. Retrieved June 17, 2025.